To celebrate what would have been Elvis' 75th Birthday, here are a few articles about him :cheer:

 

Why Elvis Presley is still the king of rock and roll: :dance:

 

It's a good story, it's a true story and it goes something like this.

 

It's the summer of '77 and the conflagration of punk rock is catching light all across the UK. But the molten core is still centred on the punk clubs of London's West End. At one, the Vortex on Wardour Street, the DJ interrupts the music that hot August night and announces Elvis Presley has died. A huge cheer goes up from spittle-flecked throng. Then, out of the baying crowd emerges Danny Baker, later a radio presenter of repute, then a young firebrand on the Sniffing Glue punk fanzine.

Taking the stage, Baker launches into an impassioned diatribe that silences the audience. He tells them they are cretins and that without Elvis there is no punk rock. He was right, as he so often is.

 

Without Elvis Aaron Presley, there is no rock, no roll, no disco, no heavy metal, no grunge or glitch or grindcore or any one of a million other fragmenting genres. Because pop music begins with Elvis, the King, who'd have been 75 on Friday. Maybe Elvis didn't invent rock and roll. The roots of the music were there in the blues stomping of a previous generation.

But it would have stayed obscure and marginal without Elvis. He took the backwoods music of black America and made it global. And he did it with a musical talent, charisma and the most astonishing raw physicality that white America had ever seen.

 

After Elvis, Bill Black and Scotty Moore finished recording That's All Right, Mama at Sam Phillips' Sun Studios in 1954, bass player Black said "Damn. Get that on the radio and they'll run us out of town."

When it was played the reaction was astonishing. Kids besieged the station, demanding the record be played again. A week later, Sun Records had received 6,000 advance orders. Overnight almost, the teenager was invented and the rock era began. The early Elvis shows in Memphis nightclubs were not great successes. But as soon as he started playing where kids could see him, especially young girls, the effect was electrifying, frightening even.

 

It's become a standing joke that Elvis couldn't be filmed from the waist down for fear of what it might do to the girls. But watch early footage of him and you understand the establishment's fears. Elvis' movements are wild, primal, unmistakably sexual. Ask the purists and they'll tell you that almost straight away the establishment tamed Elvis. He signed to RCA records and went mainstream.

 

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Then he met a fairground huckster called 'Colonel' Tom Parker who became his manager. Parker would make him the most popular and successful entertainer in the history of showbusiness but at the price of losing his fire and his soul. Parker was born Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk in Holland, a fact he spent most of his life trying to deny.The dubious status of Parker's American birthright is probably what prevented Elvis playing abroad. It is said Parker worried that trying to get a US passport would have revealed his foreign birth and may even have had him deported.

Presley did tour Canada in 1957. But back then you did not need a passport to cross the US-Canadian border.

These were the only shows he performed outside the States. The nearest he reportedly got to us was two hours spent while his plane was refuelled at Glasgow's Prestwick airport in March 1960 during his military service. His time in the army has become part of the myth too. Before it he was raw sex and teen rebellion. Then they cut his hair, like Samson, and took away his powers.

He was never as good when he came out of the army, is the old timers' refrain. But they're wrong. The later Elvis was just as good, but different.

 

After leaving the army in 1960 he burst back on the scene with a guest slot on a Sinatra TV special.

The movie GI Blues was reasonably received and gave him a quirky hit with Wooden Heart. Increasingly his hits were from the string of silly, cheesy films the Colonel contracted Elvis to.

Tickle Me is as bad as it sounds. Harum Scarum may be the worst. Elvis the movie star kidnapped by an anti-Western Middle Eastern country. The turkey Easy Come, Easy Go was made in 1967 as the rock world exploded with creativity. New sounds, new styles, new faces. From Carnaby Street to San Francisco's Haight Ashbury, music is the soundtrack to a global party.

 

While the world grows its hair, tunes in, turns on and drops out Elvis is left looking like a hick with an unfashionable oily quiff left over from the last decade. Elvis the rebel is now Elvis the square.

 

But he was not finished yet. The following year Elvis stormed back. Clad in black leather and clutching a guitar he claimed his rightful place as the king of rock and roll. The 1968 Comeback Special was his first big TV appearance in eight years and the first live show for even longer. Parker had wanted him in a cardie singing religious songs. What we got was Elvis back to his sweating, snarling, sexy best. On 27 June 1968, on a stage the size of a boxing ring, he performs not so much Elvis Unplugged as Elvis Untamed.

The music is raucous and electrifying. Elvis is bathed in sweat, his hair hanging damply across his face. It is the antithesis of the Colonel Tom-sanctioned, glossy Hollywood product. It is a revelation. Truly, the return of the King. Elvis went on to make some of his best music in the next years. In January 1969, he recorded the brilliant From Elvis In Memphis. It was his first gold album since 1965 and set up classic singles such as Suspicious Minds and In The Ghetto.Even his final few films were something of an improvement.

It would be nice to say that the story from here on in was one long comeback. It could have worked out differently.

In a parallel universe, Elvis is revived by doctors that August morning. After a spell of recuperation and rehab, he renounces the drugs, sells Graceland and ditches the hangers-on. He immerses himself in music, begins making thoughtful country-tinged Americana. His live shows are a revelation and he wins multiple Grammies for his duets album with Morrissey (a huge fan), REM, Coldplay and Norah Jones. He visits Britain, falls in love with the place and, like his new friend Bob Dylan, buys a holiday home in the Western Highlands.

 

We know it didn't end like that. First there was the living death of the Vegas years where a pale, flabby ghost in tasteless clothes sleepwalked through his old hits. And finally it ended with a bloated, tragic, unhappy man dead on his bathroom floor. But we can dream, like he could dream. Happy birthday, Elvis.

 

(News, Source: Stuart Maconie, mirror.co.uk)

Elvis is still out there as an important cultural figure” who offers something different to each fan. “For some, he will always be the rockabilly rebel from the 1950s, for other’s he’s very much the Las Vegas Superstar.

For some he is the patriotic American who went into the military in the late 1950s and for others he’s sort of a good-old-boy gospel singer.”

 

(Erika Doss, Professor of American Studies, University of Notre Dame)

 

“The way Elvis combined these influences [country and gospel] to create a new sound had a lasting effect on music.

It’s so central to our musical vocabulary, the idea of borrowing from other genres or literally creating remixes or mash-ups. That’s really in our DNA now.”

 

(Jeff Melnick, Associate Professor of American Studies, Babson College, Massachusetts)

 

King vs. King: Debating Elvis Presley's best songs:

 

No matter how you approach the King, it's always wise to head back toward his music. Listening to Elvis -- really listening, not just letting those famous songs go by in the background, as they have for so many years -- can still startle. He was one of rock's most adventurous singers, unafraid to hit dangerous notes and make a racket. He could take those risks because he was gifted with a voice so majestic that it became the aural equivalent of a national monument. And in doing so, he became a prime mover in pop's transformation during the rock era, the icon of a youthquake and a sonic revolution.

So, to honor Elvis the musician, let's have a rumble about which songs of his were the best. For the next few days, I'll sample from the new boxed set "Good Rockin' Tonight" , pitting song against song in the ultimate cage match of King versus King.

We'll start with Presley's very first single, two sides recorded and released on Sun Records in the summer of 1954. Which was better, his version of "That's All Right" or "Blue Moon of Kentucky"?

 

After the jump, I hand the belt to....

"Blue Moon of Kentucky"

I can hear the serious Elvisheads groaning out there. "That's All Right," Presley's take on the Arthur Crudup blues "That's All Right, Mama," is one of rock's Big Bangs, a rendition so bright and powerful that it seems to smash a hole in the space-time continuum. And I do love it. Elvis comes on like a thoroughbred in it, starting out in a high register with the urgency of someone straining to move faster than his body will allow. He's having a blast playing cat-and-mouse with Scotty Moore as the musician tosses out guitar lines. He's young and feeling his own heat. It's a thrill.

He's less sure of himself with "Blue Moon of Kentucky." Elvis feels his way into the song by repeating its first two words a few times, an indication that this was an improvisation, a choice made in the studio when nobody could figure out what to do to follow up "That's All Right." (Bill Black, on bass, suggested it.)

Finally he gets on board as the band jumps and rolls behind him. His delivery is throaty, a little bit mannered. He's turning the high lonesome wistfulness of Bill Monroe into something like the blues, and he might be feeling slightly naughty about it.

 

But that's why "Blue Moon" wins, in my book. "That's All Right" turns Crudup's grown-up jump blues into something sleeker and harder: a teenage speed machine. It's a beautiful trick, but not as difficult to pull off as making

Monroe's courtly, wistful slice of homegrown sentiment into something funnier, rougher and dirtier -- into the blues. To me, that seems more daring. And when I listen to the two back to back, Elvis, Scotty and Bill sound like they're having more fun taking that chance.

Am I nuts?

 

(News, Source: Ann Powers, L.A. Times)

 

 

 

Thanks for this Carole. Great read. I always enjoy reading things about our man. His music is still going strong and always will. :wub: :yahoo: :cheer:

We will always be listening to his music :wub:

 

Grandchildren Elvis are cutting the cake :cheer:

 

The Elvis 75 Celebration is just finished at the Graceland Plaza. Due to the cold weather and the chance for snow, the ceremony is moved from the front lawn to the other side of the street. Priscilla, Lisa-Marie and lots of VIPS attented the cerermony and the cutting of the cake. The biggest surprise was when Elvis’ grandchildren Riley and Benjamin were cutting the cake. It is the first time that 3 generations of Presleys are present on an Elvis celebration

 

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Published: January 8th 2010 04:45 PM.

Source: ElvisMatters / Published by: ElvisMatters - David Hamal .

 

As soon as I come across some more pics of the celebration, I will post them B)

As promised, here's a pic of Priscilla, Lisa Marie, Riley and Benjamin at the 75th birthday celebrations :dance:

 

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y48/elvis1959/Elvis8th.jpg

 

Published by: ElvisMatters

Press Release:

 

Important Elvis Presley 75th Anniversary Auction

 

January 2010 marks the 75th anniversary of the birth of the one of the most important figures in the history of Rock and Roll. Elvis Presley was born on January 8th 1935 and to mark this momentous date 75 years later Henry Aldridge and Son will be auctioning a number of important items of Elvis material. Interest is high in the sale of Elvis memorabilia with a number of prominent objects having been sold around the world for significant sums in the past few years.

 

The lots going under the hammer will offer collectors around the world the chance to own their own piece of Elvis history. These include a guitar pick from his final 1977 tour.

 

This reddish-brown triangular guitar pick with E.P. imprinted was used by Elvis Presley for his final tour in the spring/summer of 1977. The style of picks changed over the years, with the early ones being made by Fender. This guitar pick, which was used onstage, was one of the last used by Elvis during his lifetime and was acquired directly from the estate of Elvis Presley. It was on display for many years at the world famous ELVIS-A-RAMA MUSEUM in Las Vegas and is estimated at £700-£900.

Other items include an autographed copy of a Blue Hawaii LP. Elvis has written 'Thanks Elvis Presley' in red ink, The LP was owned by Joan Schmidt-Powell. Elvis had known Joan since 1956 with their first meeting being at Paramount Pictures and they stayed in touch until Elvis' Death. Elvis' nickname for her was Jo, Jo-Jo and in the seventies Jo Go-Go. Also included with the lot is a copy of a letter from Elvis’s father, Vernon Presley to Joan regarding Elvis' funeral. This item is estimated at £500-£700.

One particularly notable item in the auction is a reel of 16mm film which was obtained directly from Jimmy Velvet, the president of the world famous Elvis Presley Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. Jimmy was a friend of Elvis’s for a number of years as well as being a popular entertainer in his own right. The footage itself gives a fascinating insight into Elvis private life and lasts for 17 minutes. It starts off with Priscilla walking over to an old stage wagon in the desert in Westworld just outside Las Vegas and explaining that these are her most precious memories of the days she had with Elvis. It appears to have been come from Priscilla’s' own personal home movies of Elvis and gives the viewer a snapshot of life behind the scenes.

 

Other scenes show Elvis and Priscilla at their Wedding Eve party then Graceland, the Presley's arriving home from the hospital with Lisa Marie and Elvis and Priscilla with Baby Lisa driving around the city waving at fans, holding Lisa to the window. The 16mm film reel is being sold as is without any copyright or other rights whatsoever. It is estimated to sell for £4000-£6000.

Other lots being sold are the original registration card/document issued on 08/10/70 for Elvis’s 1966 Harley Davidson Motorcycle, Colonel Tom Parkers original registration card/document issued on 02/02/72 for his 1972 Mercedes, original pages from the flight logbook of Elvis’s private Convair jet The Lisa Marie and personal items owned and used by Elvis Presley in his Monovale Drive home in California. The auction will be held on Saturday 16th January at 10am GMT and the lots can be viewed online at www.henry-aldridge.com from Tuesday 12th January.

 

Andrew A. Aldridge BA Hons FAV MRICS Chartered Valuation Surveyor.

Henry Aldridge and Son

Unit 1 Bath Road Business Centre

Bath Road

Devizes

Wiltshire

England

SN10 1XA

 

Tel: 0044 1380 729199

Fax: 0044 1380 730073

www.henry-aldridge.co.uk

 

'75th Birthday' gold record

 

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To commemorate Elvis' 75the birthday, this limited edition of 2010 pieces will be released. This 24kt goldplated 33rpm record contains an etched silhouet of Elvis. In the background, we see a photo collage of the highlights of Elvis' life. Measures 20x24" - 50x60cm. This release is a follow up and perfect match with previous releases like the '35th Aloha' and '40th Comeback Special' frames.

 

Published: January 12th 2010 10:31 AM.

Source: ShopElvis.eu / Published by: ElvisMatters

Elvis Presley 75th Birthday Celebration Graceland Recap:

 

Thousands of fans from across the globe gathered at Graceland in Memphis to celebrate Elvis Presley’s 75th birthday on a cold but festive winter weekend in the Birthplace of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

 

http://www.elvis.com/news/full_story.asp?id=2095

 

Take a look at Benjamin in this clip ;) He sure resembles his Grandad :cheer:

 

Elvis Presley's 75th Birthday Celebration

 

 

Take a look at Benjamin in this clip ;) He sure resembles his Grandad :cheer:

 

Elvis Presley's 75th Birthday Celebration

 

 

 

Wow, he sure does look like his sexy grandad. :cheer: :wub: